Sealant Containment Assembly

Abstract

A sealant containment assembly for enclosing fasteners disposed within a confined space. The sealant containment assembly includes a first containment member and a second containment member that extend between two surfaces. The first and second containment members each include structure-engaging ends for engaging a structural member and the first and second containment members each include enclosure ends that connect the first and second containment members together to enclose the fasteners within a confined space defined by the first and second containment members, the first and second surfaces, the structural member and the connected enclosure ends. The assembly also includes at least one injection port disposed outside of the confined space but is in communication with at least one distribution port disposed inside the confined space for filling the confined space with sealant, thereby embedding the fasteners in sealant.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A sealant containment assembly for use with fasteners that extend through a first surface, the first surface being spaced apart from an opposing second surface and the first and second surfaces engaging a structural member, the sealant containment assembly comprising:
 a first containment member sized for insertion between the first and second surfaces, the first containment member including a structure-engaging end, configured to engage the structural member, and an enclosure end, and 
 a second containment member sized for insertion between the first and second surfaces, the second containment member including a structure-engaging end, configured to engage the structural member, and an enclosure end, wherein the enclosure end of the second containment member is configured to couple to the enclosure end of the first containment member, 
 wherein the first and second containment members are further configured so that, when the first and second containment members are placed on opposite sides of the fasteners and the enclosure end of the first containment member is coupled to the enclosure end of the second containment member, the first and second containment members cooperate with the first surface, the second surface, and the structural member to form a confined space surrounding the fasteners, and 
 wherein at least one of the first and second containment members includes at least one injection port disposed outside of the confined space that is in communication with at least one distribution passageway disposed inside the confined space, the at least one distribution passageway comprising at least one distribution port for distributing sealant within the confined space. 
 
     
     
       2. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 1 , in which at least part of one of the first and second containment members is further configured to form a gap relative to at least one of the first and second surfaces to vent the confined space during injection of sealant through the at least one injection port. 
     
     
       3. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 1  wherein each of the first and second containment members include at least one injection port disposed outside of the confined space that is in communication with at least one distribution passageway comprising at least one distribution port disposed inside the confined space. 
     
     
       4. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 3  wherein the distribution passageway of the first containment member connects to the distribution passageway of the second containment member. 
     
     
       5. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 4  wherein the distribution passageways of the first and second containment members are connected by a male/female connection. 
     
     
       6. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 1  wherein the enclosure ends of the first and second containment members are connected by an alignment member sized for insertion between the first and second surfaces. 
     
     
       7. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 6  wherein the alignment member includes a first end that forms a tongue in groove connection with the enclosure end of the first containment member and the alignment member includes a second end that forms a tongue in groove connection with the enclosure end of the second containment member. 
     
     
       8. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 6  wherein the alignment member is connected to the first and second containment members with male/female connectors. 
     
     
       9. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 6  wherein the alignment member comprises an inner wall that faces the confined space and that connects to a rod having opposing barbed ends, and the first and second containment members each comprise an inner wall having a socket extending outward from the inner wall, each socket receiving one of the barbed ends of the rod to connect the alignment member to the first and second containment members. 
     
     
       10. A sealant containment assembly for use with fasteners used to secure a wing to a fuselage of an aircraft, wherein the fasteners are disposed between two surfaces disposed inside the wing and between a structural member of the wing and the fuselage of the aircraft, the sealant containment assembly comprising:
 a first containment member sized for insertion between the two surfaces, the first containment member including a structure-engaging end, configured to engage the structural member, and an enclosure end, and 
 a second containment member sized for insertion between the two surfaces, the second containment member including a structure-engaging end configured to engage the structural member and an enclosure end, wherein the enclosure end of the second containment member is configured to couple to the enclosure end of the first containment member, 
 wherein the first and second containment members are further configured so that, when the first and second containment members are placed on opposite sides of the fasteners and the enclosure end of the first containment member is coupled to the enclosure end of the second containment member, the first and second containment members cooperate with the two surfaces and the structural member to form a confined space surrounding the fasteners, and 
 wherein at least one of the first and second containment members comprises at least one injection port disposed outside of the confined space that is in communication with at least one distribution passageway disposed inside the confined space, the distribution passageway comprising at least one distribution port for distributing sealant within the confined space. 
 
     
     
       11. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 10  wherein the alignment member includes a first end that forms a tongue in groove connection with the enclosure end of the first containment member and the alignment member includes a second end that forms a tongue in groove connection with the enclosure end of the second containment member. 
     
     
       12. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 10  wherein the alignment member is connected to the first and second containment members with male/female connectors. 
     
     
       13. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 10 , in which at least part of one of the first and second containment members is further configured to form a gap relative to at least one of the two surfaces to vent the confined space during injection of sealant through the at least one injection port. 
     
     
       14. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 10  wherein the alignment member comprises an inner wall that faces the confined space and that connects to a rod having opposing barbed ends, and the first and second containment members each comprise an inner wall having a socket extending outward from the inner wall, each socket receiving one of the barbed ends of the rod to connect the alignment member to the first and second containment members. 
     
     
       15. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 10  wherein each of the first and second containment members include at least one injection port disposed outside of the confined space that is in communication with at least one distribution passageway comprising at least one distribution port disposed inside the confined space. 
     
     
       16. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 15  wherein the distribution passageway of the first containment member connects to the distribution passageway of the second containment member. 
     
     
       17. The sealant containment assembly of  claim 15  wherein the distribution passageways of the first and second containment members are connected by a male/female connection. 
     
     
       18. A method for embedding fasteners in sealant wherein the fasteners are used to secure a skin of a wing of an aircraft to a side of body chord of the aircraft, the side of body chord including a first plate and a second plate that extend outward from a wall, the fasteners connecting the skin to the first plate with portions of the fasteners disposed between the two plates and between the wall of the side of body chord and a structural member of the wing, the method comprising:
 providing a first containment member configured to extend between the first and second plates and a second containment member configured to extend between first and second plates, the first and second containment members each comprising structure-engaging ends for engaging the structural member of the wing and enclosure ends for connecting the first and second containment members together in a spaced-apart relationship, at least one of the first and second containment members comprising at least one injection port that is in communication with at least one distribution passageway that comprises at least one distribution port; 
 providing an alignment member configured to extend between the first and second plates and further configured to align and connect the enclosure ends of the first and second containment members together; 
 connecting the first and second containment members to the alignment member and engaging the structure-engaging ends of the first and second containment members with the structural member to provide a confined space between the first and second containment members, between the first and second plates and between the structural member and the alignment member; and 
 injecting sealant into the at least one injection port and out through the at least one distribution port and into the confined space. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18  wherein each of the first and second containment members comprise at least one injection port disposed outside of the confined space that is in communication with at least one distribution passageway comprising at least one distribution port disposed inside the confined space, and the method further comprises
 connecting the at least one distribution passageway of the first containment member to the at least one distribution passageway of the second containment member. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18  wherein the providing of first and second containment members and the providing of the alignment member comprises fabricating the first and second containment members and the alignment member using 3D printing.